


Let's Start the New Year Right

by adverbally



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-03-02 15:24:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13321050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adverbally/pseuds/adverbally
Summary: Let's watch the old year die / With a fond good-bye / And our hopes as high as a kite...Phryne comes home early from a party so Jack, who stayed home sick, will be her first kiss of the new year.





	1. Kissing the Old Year Out

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my New Year's Resolution was to comment on as many MFMM fics as I can. I'm proud to say that I've been keeping up pretty well! By interacting with all of the awesome authors in our fandom, I've actually become more motivated to write myself. I know New Year's Eve was over a week ago, but what can I say? I'm not a speedy writer! If I can get over my shyness, I might even add a second chapter of them ringing in the new year... if you know what I mean ;)
> 
> The title, chapter title, and lyrics in the summary are from the song "Let's Start the New Year Right" by Bing Crosby.

Phryne opens her bedroom door carefully. Champagne and the anticipation of a new year still bubble in her veins, making her feel pleasantly floaty as she tiptoes into the room. It's still strange having to be considerate of another person who might be asleep in her boudoir, but it's worth it when she finds Jack in her bed.

Jack glances up from his book. His eyes are tired, his nose is red, and his handkerchief is crumpled in one of his hands. Despite his obvious illness, the corner of his mouth quirks up fondly as she enters.

“You're supposed to be resting, not waiting up for me!” Phryne chides. Her stern tone is somewhat undermined by the way she wobbles as she balances on each foot, unbuckling her heels and slipping them off.

“I've been asleep for most of the day,” Jack croaks. “I'm not sure I can be any more well-rested than I already am.”

“Poor darling, you sound dreadful,” she sighs. “Are you feeling any better?” She dumps her light shawl and her clutch on the chaise before she crosses the room to where Jack reclines, propped up by a mountain of pillows at the head of the bed.

“It's just a cold,” Jack protests as Phryne lays a hand across his forehead to check his temperature. “I'm hardly on my deathbed.”

Phryne cocks a disapproving eyebrow at him before pulling her hand away. “Well, your fever’s gone down, so I suppose you're right about that.” She strides across the room to her folding screen to start getting ready for bed.

“I’m sorry if I spoiled your night. You didn't need to come home early.” The statement is punctuated with a hearty sneeze and a sniffle so pathetic that Phryne has to stifle a laugh.

“Oh, I absolutely did. These parties are becoming more and more dull every year.” Phryne pulls her gown over her head, relishing the jangle of beads and the slip of silk across her skin.

“So glad I could give you an excuse to escape,” Jack says dryly. With his congestion and the crinkle of her dress around her ears, Phryne can barely make out the words.

“Yes, well, it comes at a price. Aunt Prudence seems to be under the impression that you've domesticated me.” She drapes her gown over the top of the screen before poking her head around the edge to look at him.

Jack eyes are smiling, though his handkerchief obscures the rest of his face as he blows his nose.

“It's not funny, Jack!” That's not exactly true, but Phryne slips back behind the screen to hide her smile.

“You don’t think she honestly believes that, do you?” Jack argues.

His question hangs in the air as Phryne pauses to pull on the soft peach pajamas Dot had left out for her. Aunt Prudence had genuinely seemed thrilled that Phryne was so committed to Jack. It made sense, given Phryne's less than monogamous past, that her relationship with Jack would be a relief and a point of pride to her aunt.

Phryne finishes changing and crosses the room to return her earrings to her jewelry box before she replies. “You should’ve seen how her face lit up when I told her I was leaving early to check on you. She was so _pleased_.” Her nose crinkles with distaste at the prospect of her aunt’s approval.

“Heaven forbid.” Jack shuts his book and sets it aside. When Phryne frowns, he adds defensively, “I'm sorry, I don't see why this is so horrible. She just wants you to be happy.”

“Hmph,” Phryne scoffs as she yanks her brush through her hair. “She wants _you_ to be happy, and she thinks the only way for that happen is if I settle down.”

Jack reaches out a hand to her, waiting patiently until she takes it with a huff. He gently pulls her to sit on the edge of the bed. “Your aunt worries about you. In her eyes, it's safer for you to have a conventional relationship than to face all of the gossip that comes with… well, being us.” His fond smile softens his words.

“I don't want safe, I want you,” Phryne immediately protests.

“I know.”

It's a conversation they've had again and again, talking over the impact their relationship could have on Phryne's social standing, Jack’s reputation among the police force, their combined ability to do their jobs. Frankly, Phryne is sick of the caution and the worry and the circular arguments. Right now, the easiest thing to do is to climb into bed beside the man she loves and ignore it.

Phryne tucks herself against Jack’s side, enjoying his warmth despite the summer heat. The bubbly feeling from the champagne still hasn’t abated, so she picks the first thought that floats through her mind. “Remember last new year, when you had just come to London? You were the first person I kissed at midnight.”

Jack chuckles. The sound is raspier than usual, but Phryne snuggles closer to him to feel it vibrating through his chest. “Lucky my ship wasn’t late or I would have missed it.”

“I would have waited for you.” With a sigh, Phryne slips an arm around his waist. “You were the only one I kissed all year. The only one I _wanted_ to kiss. And I wanted to kiss you tonight. That’s why I came home early,” she confesses. “It didn’t seem right to ring in the new year without you.”

“How tame. Maybe your aunt was right about you,” Jack teases.

“Jack!” Phryne gasps, pretending to be affronted. She moves to scoot away from him, only to be pulled back into Jack’s arms, giggling when he presses a kiss to her temple.

“It’s after midnight, you know,” Jack points out once her laughter has died down and she has relaxed against him once again. “The perfect time for that kiss.”

Phryne cranes her neck to look him in the eye. “What if I’ve changed my mind?” she says coquettishly, the pitch of her voice dropping to a low murmur she knows Jack finds irresistible.

Predictably, Jack’s eyes darken. “I hope you haven’t.”

Rather than responding, Phryne drops her gaze to Jack’s lips. While teasing Jack is always entertaining, she’s getting impatient as well. She brings up a hand to tangle in his hair, loose and curling after his bath, and studies his face.

Things are so different from what they were at this time last year, Phryne muses. Her passionate reunion with Jack in London is a fond memory, but at the time, there had been so much uncertainty between them. They hadn’t known if they would be able to make a romantic relationship work, let alone whether it could survive the journey back to Australia and all of the responsibilities they had left behind there. There had been difficulties since that night, of course, and a great many arguments, but those obstacles just make it all the sweeter when Phryne is able to come home after a long night and melt into Jack’s arms.

“Phryne?” Jack asks uncertainly, clearly concerned by the intensity of her gaze.

She can’t wait any longer. Finally, smiling, she guides his head down to hers. Their lips meet carefully and chastely, almost like a first kiss, but the sensation still makes Phryne’s toes tingle pleasantly. It still amazes her that Jack can make her feel so good every time they touch.

Jack pulls away first, resting his forehead against Phryne’s. For a moment, she thinks he’s just enjoying the comfort of her presence but after a long pause, he jerks his head away just in time for his whole body to jolt with the violence of his sneeze.

Phryne feels a little guilty, but she can’t help the giggles that bubble out of her. “Oh, Jack, I’m sorry. I should let you rest.” She hands him a handkerchief and smooths his ruffled hair away from his forehead.

Jack daubs at his nose, sniffling. “Hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow and we can do something to celebrate,” he suggests.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Phryne promises. When Jack smiles, his lips quirking up as charmingly as ever, she does the same. “Happy new year, Jack,” she says softly, trying to imbue the words with all the love she feels for him.

He seems to get the message, as he replies just as feelingly, “Happy new year, Phryne.”

With a final kiss to Jack’s forehead to reassure herself that his fever is going down, Phryne snuggles down beside him once again. It might just be the lingering tipsiness from the party, but she has a good feeling about the year to come.


	2. Kissing the New Year In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Phryne wakes on the first day of the new year in one of her favorite ways-- cocooned in her blankets with the delicious warmth of Jack’s body spooned against her back. She relishes the lazy way her brain swims back into consciousness. It almost feels like she’s still drunk on the champagne from Aunt Prudence’s party the night before._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this isn't an April Fools' joke-- I'm actually finishing this story after almost three months! I'm so grateful to everyone who commented on the first chapter and encouraged me to post, but I want to give a special shout-out to reindeerjumper, whose recent comment reminded me that this story existed and that I should give you an update. This is my first published smut, and it wouldn't have been possible without the amazingly supportive people in this fandom!
> 
> Because I'm lazy and real life is kicking my ass right now, this chapter is doubling as March's (slightly late) entry for the Year of Quotes challenge. If you go back and read chapter one, you might notice an accidental parallel with the prompt, “‘I don’t want sunbursts or marble halls, I just want you.’” I continued the theme with a vague reference to another prompt quote: _“‘After all,’ Anne had said to Marilla once, ‘I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.’" Hopefully April will be a little more forgiving and I can give you a real challenge entry next month. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one!_

Phryne wakes on the first day of the new year in one of her favorite ways-- cocooned in her blankets with the delicious warmth of Jack’s body spooned against her back. She relishes the lazy way her brain swims back into consciousness. It almost feels like she’s still drunk on the champagne from Aunt Prudence’s party the night before.

It takes her a moment to register that the arm Jack has draped over her waist has an ulterior motive. His hand has slipped into the gap between her pajama top and pants so his talented fingers can trace abstract shapes over the bare skin of her belly. It would tickle if Jack weren’t so methodical in his movements, keeping the motion slow and deliberate. As chaste as the touch is, it makes Phryne want more. 

She smiles when she arches her back and feels Jack’s erection press more firmly against her bottom. “You seem to be feeling better,” she says sleepily.

Jack’s hand stills as he pulls her closer. “Yes, much better. No fever, no cough, no sneezing. I can even breathe through my nose again.” As if to illustrate, he nuzzles his face against her shoulder, inhaling deeply. 

“Oh, good. I have plans for your mouth now that it’s not busy breathing.”

The mouth in question presses a kiss at the nape of her neck. “How’s that?” he teases. His voice still has the deep growl of the newly-woken, or perhaps the newly-healthy, and it makes a rush of heat slither down Phryne’s spine. 

“I suppose it’s a start.”

Jack quickly notes the challenge in her tone and rolls her onto her front, straddling the backs of her thighs. His lips slowly make their way down the back of her neck until he meets the boundary of her pajama top. Rather than removing the garment, he moves his attention to her bare arms, trailing kisses over the faint freckles dusting her shoulders.

The weight of his body on hers and the light brush of his dry lips against her skin are torturously good. A frustrated groan escapes her, but Phryne buries her face in her pillow to muffle the sound. She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how easily he can arouse her. 

Jack’s low chuckle suggests that her efforts weren’t entirely successful. “Is that not what you had in mind?” he asks. The next touch of his lips lands on her elbow, which definitely shouldn’t make her shudder like it does. 

“Not exactly.” She can’t hide how breathless she is already, but she tries to sound casual. “I was thinking of a spot a bit… lower?”

“Ah.” The amusement in Jack’s voice isn’t reassuring. “What about this?” He sits upright so he can tug her pajama top upward, exposing her back from the dimples of her arse to the bottom of her shoulderblades. Before she can even think of objecting, he’s scooting down her body and pressing his mouth to the sensitive base of her spine.

Phryne’s breath gusts out of her in a rush. Gone are the chaste little pecks Jack had used only moments ago; now, he leaves lingering, open-mouthed kisses against her skin like he can’t get enough of her taste. She automatically arches her back into it. 

Jack doesn’t seem to be holding back anymore. He mouths his way across her lower back from hip to hip, not daring to dip beneath her pajama bottoms. “I love how you taste,” he mumbles against her skin.

She can’t imagine that she would taste like anything other than sweat and maybe the remnants of rosewater from her bath the previous day, but the words make her flush with pleasure. “Mmm, there’s more where that came from.” She nudges her hips back in encouragement. 

With a soft growl, Jack hooks his thumbs into her waistband and tugs the fabric down to her knees. His hands find her skin immediately, roaming her bottom and the backs of her thighs. His touch is reverent and it makes Phryne shiver beneath him. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” she says absently as she struggles to kick the pants all the way off and get her knees under her. The intake of breath she hears from behind her makes her grin and sway her arse in the air, teasing Jack with glimpses of the pink wetness between her thighs. When she turns her head, she can just barely see his face and the awe written across it. 

“Jesus, Phryne,” Jack breathes. His hands are quick to settle on her again, but he doesn’t rush as he strokes over her flank. 

Phryne blushes under his admiring gaze. She has always appreciated being watched, both in and out of the boudoir, but it’s different with Jack. It’s intoxicating to have that intense focus trained solely on her, to know that she’s the only one he looks at like this. She’s so focused on enjoying his scrutiny that she’s completely caught off guard when Jack’s tongue trails across her cunt.

Jack’s hands fit neatly at the curve of her hips, and he takes advantage of this fact to keep her from breaking his nose when she jolts beneath him. With a warm chuckle, he lowers his mouth to her again, teasing her with broad swipes of his tongue. Although he knows exactly how to bring her to the edge as quickly as possible, he clearly has no interest in doing so, content to explore her folds and revisit the places that make her moan. 

Phryne doesn’t mind a bit of delayed gratification every so often. Here, tucked away in her bed with Jack on a lazy morning off, she welcomes it. She arches her back, enjoying the way the slow build of pleasure lets her become more aware of her body. The tension of her hands gripping her favorite sheets, the cadence of her hips rocking slowly against Jack’s mouth, the ache for more in her belly, the slip of Jack’s pajamas against her bare legs… She lets out a contented sigh that has Jack humming in response.

The vibration against her sensitive flesh makes her gasp, then groan when Jack repeats the noise. She’s close enough that if he did it just one more time, just a bit lower…

As if he can read her mind, Jack’s tongue shifts to settle against her clit, stroking over her again and again until her thighs are trembling.

“Oh,” Phryne whimpers, and then the tension within her breaks. She’s never been much of a screamer, much to Jack’s surprise; instead, her breath hitches in her chest before it rushes out with a sigh. She’s grateful for Jack’s steady grip on her hips as she sways a little with the unexpected force of it. While she isn’t usually one for swooning, Jack always knows exactly how to make her weak in the knees. 

The thought makes her laugh a little, a giddy burst that’s more breath than sound. With Jack’s hands on her, lowering her to the bed with his usual care, her chest heaves with the delight of loving him. After taking a moment to let her heart return to its normal rhythm, Phryne catches Jack’s attention with a gentle touch to his wrist.

Jack obligingly sits to the side so Phryne can roll over to face him. She’s struck by the unfairness of the fact that she hasn’t gotten to kiss him. He hasn’t even bared any skin. The silken navy pajama set he’s wearing is lovely, but she wants to feel all of him against her and make him feel as amazing as she does. 

“Come here,” she says softly, holding her hand out to him in invitation. He lets himself be pulled into position, tucked up against her side, so she can lay a hand on his cheek and finally bring their mouths together. “I love you,” she says between gentle brushes of their lips, unhurried pecks that match their lazy mood. 

Jack smiles at her. It’s the sweet, unrestrained smile that he reserves for her, and Phryne can’t help but beam at him in reply. “I love you, too,” Jack says, though his face has already told her that. It makes her want him even more.

The next time she leans in for a kiss, she doesn’t bother with sweet and chaste. Jack lets out a deep moan when her tongue slips between his lips. Though both of their mouths are stale from sleep, Phryne relishes the warmth and the slickness, especially once Jack sets the rhythm into something slow and searching. The lingering taste of herself on his tongue makes Phryne squeeze her thighs together at the memory of his mouth on her.

Phryne’s hands wander to Jack’s chest, toying with the buttons of his pajama top. She slips each one out of its hole carefully, pausing occasionally to brush a fingertip across the bare skin she uncovers. While Jack’s legendary focus remains on kissing Phryne, she can feel his breath hitch each time she touches him. The shirt easily slips out of the way, revealing broad shoulders and a well-muscled chest. 

“God, Phryne, your hands,” Jack murmurs against her cheek. His own hand trails up and down her side, highlighting the contrast between the silk of her pajama top and the bare skin of her hip.

“Oh, they don’t stop there.” She follows the line of hair from his navel, skipping over the waistband of his pajamas to squeeze him gently through the fabric. 

Jack groans, fighting the urge to buck his hips into her touch. His hand leaves her side to wrap around her wrist. “Your device?”

“Damn, no.” Phryne thinks of her diaphragm in its clamshell case, hidden away in her nightstand drawer. It seems so far away when she is already comfortably tucked in her bed with Jack’s warmth pressed against her. She presses a kiss to the sharp line of Jack’s jaw in apology. “But I have some other ideas.”

Jack lets out a shuddering breath as her hand slips beneath his waistband and settles into a slow rhythm, stroking his cock with pressure just light enough to tease. Phryne thinks she can almost feel his heartbeat jumping in his neck as she brushes her lips over his pulse point. As always, Jack is so delightfully responsive, and she relishes his reactions.

“Faster?” she offers, not breaking her torturous rhythm. She suspects that Jack will say no, will want to continue the torment of too little sensation until he can no longer stand it. 

“No,” Jack gasps, “just like this.”

The confirmation sends a little thrill through Phryne. The familiarity of his quirks, the instinctive knowledge of what will please him… Just a year ago, the intimacy of that knowledge would have terrified Phryne. Now, it feels comfortable, like slipping into her favorite dressing gown and feeling the slink of silk against her skin. It feels good, being able to undo him like this.

The next time she kisses him, just on his earlobe, she adds the scrape of her teeth to hear him hiss. 

“Phryne,” Jack grunts in that helpless way that makes goosebumps erupt across Phryne’s skin. He squeezes his eyes shut and rests his head against hers, forehead to forehead.

It’s a simple gesture that brings everything into focus-- the softness of Jack’s pajamas against her legs, their breath mingling in the small space between their mouths, Jack’s hand clutching at her naked hip, her top rucked up around her ribs, Jack’s long eyelashes curling against his cheeks, the slide of her hand on him. It makes Phryne’s chest ache, these little reminders of how much she loves this man in every moment they share. 

“Go on, Jack, I’ve got you,” she coaxes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

Jack is easily convinced; with a squeeze and a twist of her wrist, Phryne has him spilling against his own belly with a low groan, twitching as she works him through the aftershocks until he relaxes against her. Neither of them speak for long minutes, enjoying the closeness of laying together in the peaceful quiet of morning. 

It may be a bit too peaceful because the next thing Phryne knows, she is blinking awake from a light doze to find Jack watching her. She is about to tease him about it when something in his expression makes her stop short. Her face must be puffy with sleep and covered with smudges of the previous night’s makeup, but Jack is still looking at her like she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. 

“I must have tired you out,” Jack remarks, brushing a piece of hair away from her face. 

“Maybe you woke me too early. I think that was uncalled for, especially since you don’t have work today.” It’s not a convincing argument, not when Phryne can’t muster up any real irritation, but Jack just gives her a knowing smile. 

“Maybe I have other plans.”

Phryne arches a brow. “Oh? Don’t let me keep you.”

Her wry tone doesn’t seem to affect Jack at all. “Actually, I was hoping you would be available today,” he explains.

“And what did you have in mind?” 

Jack shrugs one shoulder before reaching out to take Phryne’s hand. “Nothing in particular. I thought it would be nice to start another new year together.”

Phryne smiles at his earnestness. Since leaving the party the previous night, a similar idea has been brewing in her mind. “I would like that, but maybe you should stay in bed and rest today. I wouldn’t want you doing anything too strenuous and catching cold again.” She looks up at him through her lashes, knowing he will get her meaning. 

True to form, Jack looks at her with the frown that means he’s amused but doesn’t want to show it. “I don’t believe your intentions are entirely honorable, Miss Fisher. In fact, I frequently find myself participating in strenuous activities when I’m in your bed.”

“I’m quite sure I don’t know what you mean,” she says, faux-innocently, as her hand begins to trace the contours of his chest. “I’m only thinking of your health, Jack.”

“Of course. What would I do without you?” 

It would be easy for her to respond with another witty rejoinder, but the weight of Jack’s gaze and his low tone imply a deeper meaning that makes Phryne want to melt against him and never leave their bed. She can’t make light of something like that. Instead, she snuggles closer to Jack and says, “Let’s not find out.”

Jack shows his agreement with a kiss to her temple that sends another rush of fondness through her. Phryne sighs contentedly as he wraps his arms around her. The simple pleasures of Jack’s love and the comfort of his body against hers are all she needs for today and for the year to come.


End file.
